20 Day Old Moon

Hi all

At 11.00 the moon, just one day shy of third quarter, had cleared the neighbour's house, I got out the 120mm f/8.3, stepped it down to 80mm, f/12.5 and used a Baader 8-24mm zoom.

By the crater, Glyden, close to Herschel, there is a feature that appears as gently bent black line against the lighter background, it runs from the north of Glyden and out to an open area.  The line is broken about the midway point by a deep depression that looks rough, indicating a rock slide rather than an impact crater.  I suspect that they are a cliff, with the sun rising behind them, they are casting these distinct shadows.

On the western wall of Hippacrchus, there are three deep canyons running across the crater wall, all three are in deep shadow and give the appearance of high cliffs.  The southern cliff is interrupted by the crater Halley, a later impact.

In the southern area of Mare Vaporum, there is an unusual feature.  It is a patch of raised ground, oval in shape with a pair of ridges running parallel down the length of the object from east to west, these ridges look jagged.  It sits out in the open plain of the mare and is quite distinct, being darker than the surrounding material.  It sits in the centre of this image, I have not been able to find a name for the feature, and if anyone knows what it is, I would appreciate the info.
the-moon.us/wiki/File:Normal_apennins~0.jpg

Looking to the far south, right to the edge of the Moon, I was able to see a pair of raised, "horns", they were the crater walls from Zeeman, located on the far side of the moon and invisible.

It is a long time since I observed the moon at such a late phase and the familiar features, such a Tycho have a slightly different appearance when the sun is in the opposite side of the sky.  Tonight, Rupes Recta will be visible, it is cloudy, but if you have not observed this feature, except when the sun rises over the feature and displays the distinctive black line, then it will be something completely the opposite, a white line, well worth checking out.

Paul

Hello, Paul.

I do thank you very much for your sensational report!
You certainly pull the "stops" out to record each of these marvellous lunar features for us all.
The craters Glyden, Hipparchus and Halley I have observed in the past.
I have Antonin Rukl's Atlas out and I do see that bent black line you are talking about going through Glyden and the 3 canyons.
That strange area in Mare Vaporum has been discussed on Cloudy Nights a number of times; but no one has found a name for it at all.
I must offer you sincerest congratulations for successfully observing part of the northern part of the crater Zeeman. Rukl only includes the crater in the Libration Zone VI. There is no sign of these "horns" in the main part of his atlas. Superb catch, Paul!

Clear nights from Aubrey.

What a wonderful report you've shared with us Paul. You've a beautiful way of describing what you observe. And I am already looking forward to reading your next post. 

Those raised horns you mentioned sound familiar to me... I think I saw the one night. I must check back over my notes. I thought I was seeing things when I saw them. 

Clear skies and very many thanks for the report, 

Darren. 

It is such and obvious feature, Aubrey, that I am surprised that it does not have a name.  There are so many other features, many of them obscure, that have a name and yet this remains unnamed.  I have seen it listed as a pyroclastic flow.  Perhaps a name should be suggested.

This month's Sky At Night magazine has its lunar section on the Mare Vaporum.  It mentions the unnamed feature and refers to is as the pyroclastic Mare Vaporum.

I still think it should have a name.

Paul

Hear! Hear!

It should have a name, Paul.

Aubrey.